Sir James Andrew Harcourt Gammell

James Andrew Harcourt Gammell was born on September 26th, 1892 in Edinburgh, Scotland. After his education at the Cambridge University he was appointed to the Scottish Horse Yeomanry in 1913. After he had done his part in the efforts for the First World War, he was served from 1930 until 1932 as Instructor to the Staff College at Camberley. In 1935 he was appointed Commanding Officer with 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.

When the Second World War started, Gammell acted as Commanding Officer 4th Infantry Brigade, with which unit he was stationed in France in 1939. In 1940 he was appointed as Brigadier with the General Staff, Nr. IV Corps and later that year of the Allied Forces Norway. By the end of 1940 he was appointed Commanding Officer of 15th Brigade. In 1941 Gammell was appointed General Officer Commanding 3rd Division to be later transferred as General Officer Commanding XII Corps. In1943 he was to become General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command.In 1944 his appointment followed as Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean.

After the Second World War he became Head of the British Military Mission in Moscow. He retired on May 9th, 1946. James Andrew Harcourt Gammell died in 1975.

Promotions: 12th December 1912: 2nd Lieutenant; 1927: Major; 1935: Lieutenant-Colonel; 1938: Colonel; 19th December 1938: Brigadier; 24th July 1940: Acting Major-General; 7th May 1941: Major-General (seniority 30th November 1940); 25th December 1941: Acting Lieutenant-General; 25th December 1942: Temporary Lieutenant-General; 29th September 1944: Lieutenant-General (seniority 5th January 1944).

Career: 1913: Scottish Horse Yeomanry; 5th August 1914: Royal Field Artillery; 1927: Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders; 1930 - 1932: Instructor Staff College, Camberley; 5th May 1935 - 1938: Commanding Officer 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders; 19th December 1938 - 6th February 1940: Commanding Officer 4th Infantry Brigade; 7th February 1940: General Staff IV Corps; 1940 - 21st June 1940: General Staff Allied Forces Norway; 22nd June 1940 - 23rd July 1941: Commanding Officer 15th Brigade; 24th July 1941 - 24th December 1941: General Officer Commanding 3rd Division; 25th December 1941 - 6th September 1943: General Officer Commanding XII Corps; 7th September 1943 - 3rd Janaury 1944: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command; 4th January 1944 - 17th December 1944: Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean; 20th November 1945 - 29th November 1945: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command; 1945: Head of the British Military Mission to Moscow; 9th May 1946: retired; 26th September 1954; scrapped form the active list of Reserve officers.

For his services he was already awarded the Order of Karageorge, 4th Class with Swords from Serbia (September or October 1916), the DSO (26th March 1917) and the MC (1917).